Recreational products such as tires, rafts, beds, and other like devices need to be inflated before use. Gas, typically air, is supplied under pressure to fill the interior of the body causing it to expand and perform its prescribed function. Once the body has been inflated, it is also necessary to ensure that the air is retained so that the body does not deflate and collapse, rendering it unable to perform its function. Many recreational products are used intermittently so that after use, provision has to be made for the product to be deflated and stored in a compact manner.
Valves are generally well known for the purpose of controlling the flow of a fluid into an inflatable body. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,994 shows a valve specifically designed for inflatable tubes. It has a sealing disc 300 mounted on the legs of a support spider so that positive pressure will move the disc away from the seat and allow air into the tube. The resilience of the disc moves it back on to the seat to seal the tube. To deflate the tube, the conical support wall of the valve is pushed inwardly, to the position shown in FIGS. 9-12, so the disc is moved away from the seal. A cap 150 is used as a seal for the inflation/deflation passage. Whilst relatively simple, the valve lacks the security and versatility necessary for a recreational product. Moreover, the valve protrudes from the surface and so may be vulnerable and impede the use of the product.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,804,085 and 2,772,692 show similar arrangements in which a valve is located in a recessed housing. The valve can be moved between open and closed conditions by rotating a central operating member. In each case, however, the valve is relatively complicated and is intended for use with a specialized adapter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,628 shows a poppet valve assembly with a cupped housing, an insertable check valve, and a threaded cap to hold the body together. However the patent has only a singular annular seal; so that leakage may occur if the seal is damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,254 shows an adapter to allow a Schrader type tire valve to be fitted to an existing valve of an inflatable device. However, the air must be retained using the valve on the inflatable device, and the adapter must be removed in order to close the cap.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages.